Why expats in the UAE need a Will
If you're a non-Muslim expat living in the UAE, your assets here — bank accounts, property, shares in a free-zone company, even your car — do not automatically pass to your spouse or children when you die. Without a registered UAE Will, the local courts may apply Sharia principles by default, which can split your estate in ways you didn't intend and freeze accounts for months while the process plays out.
A properly registered Will fixes this in a single document: you name your beneficiaries, choose your executor, appoint guardians for minor children, and make sure your UAE assets go where you want them to go.
The three registration routes, in plain English
There are three mainstream ways for an expat to register a Will covering UAE assets. Each one works — they just differ in cost, jurisdiction and complexity.
ADJD (Abu Dhabi Judicial Department)
A non-Muslim civil Will registered with ADJD. Recognised across the UAE, low government fee, and the route GetWill is built around. Best for most expats with UAE-based assets.
DIFC Wills Service Centre
English common-law Will registered with DIFC Courts. Excellent for complex estates and trust structures, but the registration fee alone is several thousand dirhams — overkill for a typical expat family.
Dubai Courts (notarised)
A Will notarised at Dubai Courts. Workable, but typically drafted in Arabic and harder to keep updated. Less commonly recommended for expats today.
Why ADJD is the cost-effective choice
ADJD gives non-Muslim expats the same core protections as DIFC — choose your beneficiaries, your executor, your guardians — at a fraction of the cost. For straightforward UAE estates (one or two properties, bank accounts, a vehicle, maybe a small business stake), it covers everything most families need.
- Registered with a UAE federal authority and recognised across all emirates
- Drafted in English, registered bilingually
- Government registration fee of AED 950 — versus several thousand at DIFC
- Faster turnaround than a bespoke law-firm engagement
When does DIFC make more sense? Multi-jurisdiction estates, offshore trusts, or unusually complex business holdings. For the majority of expats reading this guide, ADJD is the practical answer.
What will writing services in Dubai actually cost
The traditional path is a law firm in DIFC or Dubai drafting your Will from scratch. That usually runs AED 3,500 – AED 7,500 in legal fees, plus the registration fee on top. For a standard expat estate, most of that cost pays for time spent re-typing answers you could have entered yourself.
GetWill replaces the typing-and-emailing part with a guided online questionnaire, then hands you a clean draft ready for ADJD registration. The result:
The end-to-end process with GetWill
- Create your account — a verified email is all you need to start.
- Answer the guided questionnaire — beneficiaries, executor, guardians, and your UAE assets, step by step.
- Review your draft — generated automatically from your answers in plain English.
- Register with ADJD — we walk you through the AED 950 registration so it's complete and recognised.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be an Abu Dhabi resident to use ADJD?
No. ADJD-registered Wills for non-Muslims are recognised across the UAE, whether you live in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi or elsewhere in the country.
Does an ADJD Will cover assets outside the UAE?
An ADJD Will is best suited to your UAE assets. If you hold meaningful assets in your home country, keep a separate Will there as well — a UAE Will isn't a replacement for home-country estate planning.
Can I update my Will later?
Yes. Life changes — new child, new property, new spouse — should always be reflected in a fresh draft. ADJD allows registered Wills to be updated.